74. Choking Victim - No Gods / No Managers (1999)
Genre: Punk Rock
Tracklist
01. 500 Channels
02. In Hell
03. Crack Rock Steady
04. Suicide
05. In My Grave
06. Fu
cked Reality
07. Money
08. Hate Yer State
09. Fu
ck America
10. War Story
11. 5 Finger Discount
12. Praise the Sinners
13. Living the Laws
It's been awhile since I've had a punk album on here and to be honest... I've lost the list I had made, so everything from here on out is going to be me winging it.
So Choking Victim... Interesting band. This album was recorded in a single day and then the band broke up, with some of the members going off to form Leftover Crack, and the others went to form some other band I've never heard before. While Leftover Crack and the newly formed Star Fu
cking Hipsters have enjoyed more success, I find myself coming back to Choking Victim more. I think its got more to do with the fact that this was one of the first punk bands I could talk to metalheads about as well as gain acceptance from the punk community.
One of the things that I like most about Choking Victim is their ability to combine so many elements of music. The ferocity and in-your-face attitude of punk with an almost poppy delivery (on some songs), Satanic imagery (which was what actually first attracted me to the band), politically charged lyrics, and a fun playful demeanor make them a far more approachable band then their appearance and imagery would suggest. I mean I got someone who thought Simple Plan was the sh
it into this band.
What I like most about this album is that the songs are fun. They've got a message behind them, but they're not too serious or full of themselves, and this is something that turns me off some other politically charged punk bands. To just give you an idea of how fun I think this band is, I'm a criminal justice major going into law enforcement next year, yet I still love singing along to "Crack Rock Steady" which goes like this:
"Crack rock steady
are you ready to stop
the rotten blue menace lets go kill us a cop
crack rock steady, are you ready?
Living above the law"
Even when the band is being more serious like on "In My Grave" (which contains an awesome subtle nod to Slayer's "Reign Blood") I still detect a hint of playful and fun attitude. I think that's what I love about this album is the inviting attitude that doesn't really make you feel bad or angry. Not only that it's a very cathartic album so if you're having a bad day, it's a great way to blow off some steam.
The musicianship is pretty tight and if you like good basslines then you'll be very happy with this album. The production is minimal as one would expect in a punk album, but everything sounds crisp in a dirty kind of way (if that makes any sense). I don't care for a lot of the samples, particularly the ones featuring Michael Parenti, some activist/ wanker I've never heard of who has one of the most annoying voices, which when added to his content, makes you want to punch him in the face.
Overall this is definitely one of the better punk albums of the '90's and proof that the spirit is still alive. Definitely give this album a listen if you're into punk.